Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-09
TEMPERANCE MEETING.
The Relation of the Church to
the saloon.

The committee appointed by thu
churches of the city met on Monda!
night at the Trinity M. E. Church
South, to take action regarding the
coming city election. The meeting
was called to order by DIR. ]. P. Wild.
ney, Chairman of the original com
mittee. Rev. w. J. Chichester
opened the meeting with prayer. The
call issued by the committee ap-
pointed at the meeting at the Fort
Street M. f. Church on the previous
Monday night was read.
Members of the committee ap-
pointed by the several churches were
reported as follows:
First Congregational Church, Rev.
G. S. Uzzell, pastor, and James r.
Townsend; Church of the Unity, Rev.
Ely Fay and Frank Grovner; Simp-
M. E. Church, Revs. E. w. Caswell
and A. M. Hough; African M. r.
Zion Church, Rev. F. Brown, and G.
o. Benjamin; Third Presbyterian
Church, Rey. w. G. Stevens; African
M. f. Church, Rev. Jordan Allen
and G. w. H. Nelson; English Luth-
eran Church, Rev. G. w. Heisler and
J. E. Seeley; Reorganized Church OF
Jesus Christ, Rev. j. r. Badham and
@. S. Sparks; East Los Angeles Holi-
ness Church, Rev. G. A. Wolfe and
L. A. Clarke; Parker Baptist Chapel,
Rev. H. G. Bristol and A. w. Rider /;
Main Street M. +. Church, Rev. F..
L. Spencer and T. H. Kingery I;
Park Congregational Church, Rev.
E. K. Brainesth and B. w. Price /;
Asbury M. E. Church, E. L. A.,
Rev. H. Cox, Elijah Gay; Trinity M.
E. Church South, Rev. ID. G. Browne,
Col. Joseph Hamilton; Fort-street M.
E. Church, Rev. Il. S. Cantine, M. H.
Wilcox.
Mrs. L. P. More, Mrs. Lucy Blanch-
ard, members of the original commit
tee, and number Of other ladies'
were present.
A communication from the First
Presbyterian Church was read stating
that it did not see its way clear to
take official action in appointing men,
bers to the meeting, but it was in
hearty sympathy with the cause of
temperance or prohibition, and that
individual members will actively par
ticipate in the movement.
Rev. w. j. Chichester was present
and expressed his desire to cooperate
with the committee in his individual
capacity.
DIR. Widney stated in reply to an in
hot sa n
third party prohibition movement,
but is an uprising of the temperance
people without regard to creed or poll
tics, for the purpose of overthrowing
the saloons.
DR.. J. P. Widney then resigned his
position as chairman of the com mmittee
and was unanimously reelected.
Ulich Knoch was reelected Secretary.
The President made brief address
in substance as follows: For years he
had felt that little could be done in
this direction, but now he believed
that the time is come for aggressive
temperance work. During the years
OF the war that subject absorbed the
attention and strength of the nation
since then it has been compelled to
rest, but now it is ready to take up
the question. There is no issue be-
tween the two old parties save a
squabble for Office. as a Republican
he felt privileged to abuse his own
party. AS a committee from the
various churches, we are present to-
night to discuss this question from
every point of view, and decide
whether we shall take action or not !,
the question has often come to me.
shall the Christian Church combat
evil in every form and fail to oppose
the greatest of all?
j. r. Townsend then made brief
speech referring to clause in the
State Constitution, giving cities and
towns local option in this State, and
the only thing necessary is to elect
Council who will pass an ordinance
prohibiting the saloons, and elect Off
GERS who will enforce such an ordin-
ance.
Reverend G. w. Heisler and G. o.
BENJAMIN made few remarks in re-
gard to the political attitude of the
committee.
James r. Townsend presented
resolution and moved its adoption.
This provoked considerable discus
sion.
r. r. Haines was called upon to
give an estimate of the proportion of
crime resulting from the use
of intoxicants; he stated that Judge
Cheney, not long since, while passing
sentence upon a horse-thief, said from
the bench that nine-tenths of the
cases tina. were tried before him were
directly the cause of the use of liquor.
Judge O'Melveny said that three
fourths of all crimes in his expert
ence were due to the saloon. Mr..
Haines also quoted Sheriff Kays and
others and said that the cost of the
saloon to the taxpayers was enorm-
Gus. The murder case above cost the
County $1,000.
DR.. Widney jthen said that he had
long regarded it as foolish to draw
party lines at municipal elections and
that he favored the resolution. Rev.
G. M. Moore expressed himself as
warmly in favor of the resolution and
the action contemplated by it.
Rev. w. j. Chilhester believed it
would be wise movement.
Rev. Eli Foy spoke forcibly OF
arousing the Christian sentiment OF
the city in favor of the resolution.
Rev. S. l.. Spencer said he was a
Prohibitionist from the crown of his
head to the heels of his boot, but was
heartily in sympathy with the action
of the committee and the resolution
under discussion.
Rev. Mr.. Chichester suggested an
amendment to the preamble, calling
attention to the fact that political
issue is at stake in the municipal
election. The preamble was SO
amended. The resolution was then
unanimously adopted as follows:
WHEREAS, The saloon is productive
OF great harm to the city of Los An
geles, creating large proportion OF
oil the crime increasing orr taxes.